American Able

Photographer Holly Norris on her photo series "American Able", a spoof on the hyper-sexualized American Apparel print advertisements:

"Too often, the pervasive influence of imagery in mass media goes unexamined, consumed en masse by the public. However, this imagery has real, oppressive effects on people who are continuously ‘othered’ by society. The model, Jes Sachse, and I intend to reveal these stories by placing her in a position where women with disabilities are typically excluded."

Touch the Universe

Be sure to click on the image to view at full size.

In 2002, NASA published a book featuring images of the universe with raised textures to help people experiencing blindness understand astronomical phenomenon.  Raised ridges, bumps, and swirls act as a tactile language explaining the gasses and energy that make up our universe.  

Touch the Universe

Tactile Maps

The inuits of Greenland carved these tactile "maps" of the coastline. Why?  So that they could feel their location without taking their hands out of their pockets. 

via middle savage

Glass Prosthetics

Being born with a birth defect that necessitated the amputation of her legs below the knee never stopped athlete, model, actress, activist Aimee Mullins from redefining disability for herself and the world.

tedtalk from 2009

tedtalk from 1998

Therapeutic Objects

Mathieu Lehanneur is interested in the role of the designer-scientist, creating objects to keep us safe from the dangers posed by our modern environment and our modern selves.  His therapeutic objects do not change the medicine we need, but engage us in our consumption of it, keeping us mentally and physically connected with the improvement of our health.

tedtalk from 2009

"I'm always on time but a year late." 

_Erik Spiekermann

Material Ecology

Neri Oxman at Material Ecology uses design to influence her experiments with materials systems. 

She's also really unfairly beautiful.